New Year's Resolutions

FitnessLifestyle

Jan 7

It’s that time of the year! At my gym, we always get an influx of new and returning members in January because of New Year’s resolutions to get fit and healthy. The truth is that we’ve all had a New Year’s resolution and we’ve probably all failed at one too! So this year, after being asked by several of my clients about resolutions, I decided to do some research on what makes New Year’s Resolutions successful or failures.

First, what is a New Year’s resolution? Simply put, it’s a goal that you hope to accomplish within the next year. Typically, the goals are made in January along with the new year and they are normally centered around bettering yourself as an individual.

People have been making New Year’s resolutions since 153 BC! Among the most common ones are exercising more, to lose weight, get organized, save money, quit smoking, and read more.

Like most people, I’ve had dozens of resolutions in my lifetime. Drink more water, exercise more, get a new fitness certification, and a plethora of other ones. Some of these I’ve succeeded at and others I haven’t. This year, I’m hoping to read more, which I’ve been doing pretty good at so far. #mightbealie

So my second question is: why do most New Year’s resolutions fail? Simply put, resolutions typically fail because they’re not right for you. A lot of us pick habits to add and drop based on what society or other people tell us and they fail because they’re not realistic.

Do you want to actually try to stick to your goal this year? Try these tips for breaking bad habits and creating good ones!

Mentally Prepare Yourself for Change The biggest hurdle when trying to change yourself is always getting past the mental block that stops you from working hard and trying your best. Try to acknowledge that your New Year’s Resolution is going to be difficult to keep up with. If you’re mentally prepared to deal with those low moments where you want to give up, then you’re more likely to push through and keep going. Also, mentally prepare yourself for the high moments as well. Think about how much better you’ll feel about accomplishing your goal for the day.
Set a Goal That Motivates You Consider the reasons why you’re choosing a specific resolution. Is it for yourself? Your health? Your family? Try to think about these reasons when you feel like giving up. If the goal motivates you enough, then you won’t as easily give up on it.
Make Your Goal Specific A big problem that people face is falling into vague goals and resolutions. If you don’t get specific with your resolutions, then you could get bored easily and drop it. The truth is that humans are competitive, even with themselves. For example, would you be more likely to follow a vague resolution like drinking more water even if you didn’t have a set amount of water to drink every day? Or would you be more likely to stick to drinking eight cups of water per day? Not only are specific goals easier to follow and measure, but you can see your progress better. My New Year’s resolution is to read five books during 2021. By measuring it and being specific, I can follow my progress and feel more motivated each time I finish a book. Yes, I know - I’m not a reader.
Break Big Goals Into Smaller Ones I see lots of people going too big when they choose resolutions. For example, the goal to lose weight is vague and unspecific. Instead, choose a couple of habits that might help you lose weight. By having smaller goals, like drinking more water, exercising, and eating healthier, you can better pinpoint the specific things that you need to be doing in order to reach a bigger goal.
Write Your Goals Down Not only can writing your resolutions down help you make them more specific and make a plan, but it can also motivate you and help you keep track of your progress.
Share Your Goals With Others If you’re not very good at breaking bad habits and making new ones, then it could be helpful to tell others about your goals so that you feel more pressure to follow through. No one wants to be asked about their resolution after they’ve already quit!
Set Reminders and Review Them Often I love using the reminders app on my phone, whether it’s for accomplishing goals or remembering to go to a weekly meeting. By using reminders (whether on your phone or through other methods), you’ll ensure that you won’t forget to do what you need to do. It’s also a little reward to be able to check something off your to-do list!
If You Get Off Track, Get Back On I think a lot of people fall into a long-term way of thinking. They think that if they don’t do yoga for three months straight, then they’ve failed at their goal. The truth? You can fall off track and get back on. Don’t let a slip up completely derail your goals and dreams. Shake it off and try again!

New Year’s Resolutions are completely doable if you have a plan and do your research. Also remember your WHYS. Why are you doing this goal? Or why didn’t you follow through? Answer your own questions and just keep inching forward each day.

Much love,

Molly

P.S.- As always, we have January plans that just launched if you need some help. My team would love to help you succeed.

Hey there!

I’m Molly, a fitness and nutrition coach for busy professionals who want to gain back their energy, feel stronger, and fit into their old clothes again.

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